Range USA Merrillville

I've been coming to this place for years, even before the rebranding. I brought my first pistol here to shoot and bought my first rifle here. Enjoyed every visit like it was the first. Lord almighty has it changed. The actual gun sales never seemed off to me. Employees were helpful, but somewhat distrusting. When I bought my rifle, I was surrounded by six employees throughout most of the process. At the time I didn't think nothing of it but later on I realized the friendly chatter was actually them being overly cautious of me. A red flag. Later shopping around for another CCW and 2 out of the 3 employees I spoke to had no clue about pistols. The fact they proudly wore one on their hip like a badge still upsets me. The 3rd employee was helpful but clearly didn't care. Not saying I require a smile or cheerful expression to speak with, but you could at least act like you're interested in the conversation and look at me. The employee who sold me the rifle was 100% a good salesman. Worse is the shooting range, which has become atrocious. Aside from the usual complaints of fees increasing and discounts vanishing, the customer service here is downright disrespectful. Im 100% for safety on the range don't get me wrong, and I've seen safties step in 100% rightfully so here. But their range safeties went from friendly and informative to hostile prison guards with 0 trust in anyone under the age of 40. It feels like you're in elementary school with these people now. The last five times I went it was the same deal. I setup, start shooting down range, and eventually leave after done. No issues. The entire time the safety is behind me - boring holes through me like I did something. Doesn't matter if the lane is full, how safe or according to the rules I am, the safety hovers over me like they're waiting to pounce on anything. Only once have I been approached by a safety, when I placed my rifle down sideways to fix my sight momentarily. Dude didn't give me .1 of a second before jumping me. A mistake I admit, but the sheer attitude was entirely disrespectful. 1 talk out of 3-4yrs seems like a decent track record to me. It honestly feels like any man not visibly in their 40s is treated like the next idiot to desk pop. That is the only possible reason I can come up with as to why im under such extreme surveillance every visit. This last visit today was the worst by far. Safety inside was an older woman I had never seen before. About 5 other groups shooting including an employee or possibly owner. From the very moment I set up in my lane she was on me like a fly on dung. My dad came with me this time and told me she hovered around me even up to my booth the entire visit. The times I thought my dad was peering over for a view right behind me? Nope, it was her. You had people firing fast, handling many guns, etc., but for some reason I had her undivided attention. Whenever I gave my dad a turn to shoot, she vanished. The line's pully broke on us near the end, the wire snapped after I finished a mag, reeled in the target, and began sending out a new target to shoot. Safety's first assumption was that I shot the wire off until we explained the situation. We continued in another lane and I swap to my pistol. .1 second after retrieving it from my holster and setting it down she jumped me on it. I understand most ranges don't allow holster drawing and the rules basically say "all weapons need to be in a case" but I've never had this issue come up once. I've seen others do the same as me; take it out to use, then when done put it back in the holster. I understand it's mostly for safety and stopping draw-firing, but her reaction was overboard. Her attitude was totally unacceptable when informing me. It felt like I was in school all over again. If I wasn't trying to sight this pistol again I'd have left then and there. Will never be returning again. I don't feel welcome nor safe here anymore.

Me and my son have been going here for about 3 years. We haven't been there in a while. Tonight we decided to go. The cable for the paper target came in but wouldn't go back out. The lady working said the cable was broke. She questioned me even after she was told the target came all the way back In and would go back out. She pulled a stool up and was able to mainly pull the cable. So the problem was not the cable line. After this she proceed to stand the whole time close within 3-4 feet right behind my son every time he was shooting. This distracted him having her stand so close. There was another man there that was shooting that worked there. As he was about to leave he made a few comments very loud so we could hear him that how some people who shoot the ceiling ect ect and how they have to kick them out. We felt he was talking very loudly as directing it to us. We never shot the ceiling. My.son.is 30 years old and has a lot of expiernce. We decided to just pack up and leave early. There was no reason for this lady to stand 3-4 feet from my son the whole time he was shooting. We felt the tension from her just looking for something with us. And the employees very loud comments he made we felt was directed towards us. We will never go back to this place again. This.place has changed.

Easy in good lanes. Need more tables to lay cases and gear on behind the shooters.

Like that you all have a layaway

Always clean range and friendly staff.

First time shooting at Range USA-Merriville. Clean , well lit, and friendly people. I plan on going again often.

Good, knowledgeable staff